


Promises

by TripCreates



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Original Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Historical, Alternate Universe - Pirate, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Implied Sexual Content, Implied/Referenced Incest, Injury, Kidnapping, Major Character Injury, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Multi, Non-Graphic Violence, Polyamory, Sibling Incest, Swordfighting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-06
Updated: 2017-01-06
Packaged: 2018-09-15 03:48:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,608
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9217253
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TripCreates/pseuds/TripCreates
Summary: Life on the high seas was never an easy one. It didn't take much to lose it all. Luke, Leia and Han thought they had nothing to worry about as long as they were together. Theypromisedthey would always be there for one another. But that would be tested after a run goes wrong and changes their whole world.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Here we go with my first fic of 2017! 
> 
> This was written for the Star Wars Polyamory Big Bang and I'd like to give a huge thank you to the mods for putting this together. I'm always up for polyships and I finally got to try my hand at writing a pirate au!
> 
> I'd like to give a big thank you to my artist whitmerule for working with me on this. The pieces you created are so gorgeous and I love them so much. You really captured the feel of the story with your art. 
> 
> I'd also like to give a big thank you to Roane my beta reader. You were a tremendous help. 
> 
> I hope you all enjoy reading this! Any kudos or feedback on this will be much appreciated <3

Bullets flew and the smell of gunpowder filled the air. Bodies lay motionless in the sand and created another obstacle to avoid while running. The run wasn’t supposed to go like this.

Han, Luke and Leia, along with other crew members, filed to their longboats waiting to take them back to the _Falcon_. All Han was concerned about was getting Luke and Leia to safety. He knew it was selfish when his crew members were in danger as well but to hell with it.

Shots kept firing behind them as they raced toward the shore. Luke threw glances over his shoulder to check and see how close the men chasing them were. They were gaining.

“Shit,” he said whipping his head back around.

“We’re almost there!” Han said.

Some of the crew members had already made it to the longboats and were on their way back to the _Falcon_. The remaining boats had already been pushed out into the water, ready for a quick getaway when the rest got there.

The men still charged after them, some of the _Falcon_ crew falling to the sand as they were struck by bullets. But their remaining crew was nearing the end of their ammunition and there were too many of them. One of the opposing men headed straight for the trio, sword in hand, dodging the bullets fired at him.

“Keep going!” Luke shouted as he stopped and drew his cutlass.

Han and Leia looked back at him to see what he was doing. When realization hit, Leia stopped in her tracks. “Luke no!”

Luke glanced back, avoiding Leia’s eyes, and stared straight at Han. There was no guarantee he was going to make it back to the ship with them but as long as Han and Leia did, that would be enough.

Han read Luke’s expression and knew what he was going to do. “Behind you, kid!”

Luke turned back around in time to block the man’s attack. “Han, get her out of here!” He pushed with all his strength against the larger man.

“The hell you say!” Han started toward Luke even though he was out of bullets.

Just as Han moved away from Leia, shots fired at them again, hitting Leia in her left arm. She cried out, getting Han’s attention. He dashed toward her and wrapped his arm around her waist to keep her upright. Blood seeped through her white, shirt sleeve, leaving a crimson trail down her arm. She needed to get out of there and back to the ship fast.

With one last look back to Luke, Han began dragging Leia toward the longboat as Leia thrashed about, trying to get out of his grasp.

“Let me go! We have to help him!”

“Luke can handle himself,” Han said, continuing toward the boats.

“We can’t leave him here, Han!”

“You’ve been shot and I have to get you back to the ship,” Han said with gritted teeth. He didn’t like having to choose between which one he stayed with. This wasn’t right.

Leia ignored the pain of her injury in her anger. _How could Han do this?_ She thought. She was not leaving this beach without her brother.

Han gave up trying to pull her to the boat and instead scooped her up in his arms, carrying her the rest of the way. He ignored her continued protests and screams for Luke as he went.

One longboat remained as the rest of the boats were already making their way back to the _Falcon_. Han made his way into the water and put Leia down in the boat before climbing in himself.

“What about Master Luke?” Wedge asked, giving him a questioning look.

Han gazed back at Luke one last time to see he was still engaged in the fight. Han was still torn about leaving Luke behind, but he needed to get Leia back to the ship before she bled out. He also had his responsibility to his whole crew and couldn’t stay behind for one man, despite how much he loved him.

“Let’s go,” Han ordered, turned back around. He tore a strip of his shirt and began wrapping it around Leia’s wound.

Wedge exchanged looks with the other crew members and didn’t move.

“I said go!” Han barked, looking back up at them.

The men quickly snapped into action and began rowing away from the beach.

Once Han was done wrapping the makeshift bandage on her arm, Leia clung close to him as she watched Luke. Han wrapped his arm around her and her tight to him. Han made a silent promise that this would not be the last time they saw Luke.

 

Luke gained the upper hand against the other man but his opponent was still a strong swordsman. Despite the man towering over him, Luke was able to knock him back a couple of steps to open the space between them. Before the man had time to block, Luke lunged forward and ran his sword into him. He watched the man’s face twist in agony before drawing the cutlass back.

The man fell to the sand. He wouldn’t live for much longer.

Luke turned away from him, breathing heavily. He spotted the last longboat with Han and Leia on its way back to the ship. Although he didn’t have an immediate way back, he knew what to do if separated on a mission. At least Han and Leia were safe. That was the whole reason for staying behind.

While his attention was on the boat ahead of him, Luke didn’t notice the man behind him stir. Before he knew it, he felt the worst pain he’d ever felt on his right wrist and screamed out.

 

Even as Luke begin to shrink in the distance, Han and Leia continued to watch him with bated breath. No one in the boat was speaking.

Leia screamed out his name when they saw Luke fall to the ground. They were too far out to know exactly what happened and if he was still alive. Han cradled Leia’s head to his chest as she began to cry as he sat there stone faced.  He couldn’t give into the thought of Luke being dead. He couldn’t.

The rest of the trip back to the ship was silent as no one dared to speak. Leia pushed herself off of Han and wiped her tears away as they neared the _Falcon_. She was helped aboard first and Chewie tried to help her to the surgeon but she refused until Han was aboard.

Without a word, Leia walked up to Han and slapped him across the face. The surrounding crew members stared wide eyed, shocked. They were all used to seeing the two of them bickering and arguing but they had never seen Leia strike Han before.

Han wasn’t even fazed by it as he gazed down at her fiery eyes. He knew he deserved that.

“How could you leave him behind like that?” she yelled.

“Leia, I –”

“We should have stayed behind and left _together_!” Leia interrupted. “We always leave together!” Despite the pain in her arm and the emotions running through her, she was glad she was able to hold back the tears threatening to fall again, because dammit she wasn’t going to show any weakness in front of the crew.

Han sighed as he gazed down at her. “Leia, please,” he said, his voice strained. He did not want to fight her right now.

Leia was in no mood to calm down. “This is all your fault!”

Han threw his hands into the air, finally losing his patience. “I know that! I know this was all my fault. The idea to go that beach. Letting us get ambushed. Losing men. Leaving Luke. It’s all my fault,” he said, his voice rising. Leia held her ground through his yelling. Once Han got all his anger and frustration with himself out, he took a deep breath, running his hand through his hair. “We can continue arguing about this later but right now, we need to have your arm taken care of before you bleed out.”

Han reached out to touch her shoulder but Leia jerked it away.

“I can take care of it myself.” She fixed Han with one last glare before storming below deck.

Han watched her retreat. He wanted to go after her but that would only make things worse. Besides, they needed to stop wasting time and get out of here. He glanced around at the crew. Most were still shocked by what they just saw, and he put his hands on his hips.

“Well, what are you all standing around for? Get this ship out of here and to the rendezvous point. Now!”

The deck instantly was alive with men moving about the deck, setting the ship in motion. Han remained in his spot, watching his crew work. It was a long shot, but if Luke, or any of the other possible missing men, were still alive and got away, they would head to the rendezvous spot to wait for the ship. As much as he wanted hop back in a boat and go back to the beach, he knew it was too risky. He had to stick to the backup plan. It was why they had it in the first place.

He was soon joined by his first mate, Chewbacca. The taller man gazed down at Han with sad eyes.

“I need you to take a roll call and report to me how many men were lost,” Han said, avoiding his gaze. He couldn’t stand to look at him when he had that sad expression.

“Aye, sir,” Chewie replied with a nod. “I’ll start that right away.”

“Good.”

Han turned to walk away when Chewie spoke up again. “Do you think he’s still out there?”

Han stopped. He knew Chewie meant to say “alive” in his question. He glanced back at him over his shoulder. “Yes. I know he is.”

[ ](http://s1275.photobucket.com/user/whit_merule/media/Promises/div_zpsgjc5nujo.png.html)

Leia sat in front of the Threepio, the ship’s surgeon, wanting this to be over as soon as possible. He fussed over her as he cut the sleeve of her shirt off, which was fine by Leia since it was ruined from the hole and blood stains. Leia was quiet as they worked and listened to the older man worry over her. Ever since she joined the crew, Threepio always took extra care when with her when she was injured. At first she was annoyed, not wanting anyone to think less of her because she was a woman, but the surgeon treated Luke the same way. Eventually she came to realize Threepio simply cared about them.

He removed the musket ball from her arm, which was quite unpleasant to say the least. She was glad the bullet had stuck her in the arm and not the chest or neck but she was still mad it had happened at all.

Leia gritted her teeth as he poured alcohol onto the wound before bandaging up. “You’re good to go for now. Come back later tonight so we can change the bandages,” he said.

“Thank you,” Leia said as she rose from the stool.

She avoided everyone’s gaze as she made her way back to her room, _their_ room. Leia pushed opened the door to the small room and closed it behind her. She leaned back against it and closed her eyes for a moment. As she opened them, her eyes landed on Luke’s empty hammock across from hers. Tears began to well up again but this time she wasn’t afraid to let them fall.

Leia pushed herself off the door and unhooked her belt, dropping it and her pistol onto her hammock. She sat down in the chair and pulled off her boots, doing it mostly one handed. Once she was done, she stood up and climbed into Luke’s hammock. She was careful as she curled up on her right side to mind her wound and gave into her sobs.

Luke couldn’t be gone. He just couldn’t be. The two of them had always been together and at each other’s sides through everything; the loss of their parents, running away from their aunt and uncle’s to seek adventure, joining this crew and finding love in Captain Han Solo. It wasn’t right for them to be separated. Not now nor ever.

Leia tried her best not to give into the thought he was dead and hoped he was still alive; she knew the odds. She’d seen many men over the last six years lose their lives on raids like this or to the mercy of the sea. It was the risk that came with the seafaring life. She just always thought that fate wouldn’t happen to them.

Between the crying and being exhausted from the incident on the beach, Leia drifted off to sleep.

 

After the ship began sailing to its destination, Han retreated to his private quarters. He instructed Chewie to make sure no one but Leia bothered him until they reached the rendezvous point. He needed some time alone.

After closing the door behind him, Han slipped off his jacket and draped it over the back of his chair and removed his belt and pistol, placing it on his desk. He grabbed a bottle of rum from underneath the table against the wall and sat down at his desk. He pulled out the cork and took a long drink straight from the bottle, not bothering with a glass. When he was done, he set the bottle down and put his head in his hands.

He couldn’t believe he left Luke behind like that. He could have just gotten Leia to the boat and gone back for him. That’s what he should have done, but after seeing her get shot, he couldn’t do that to her. He hated having to choose between the two of them.

This was what Lando warned him about right? How dangerous it was to fall in love with one’s crew members like this? Han couldn’t just fall for just one, no it had to be two.

It wasn’t like Han intended for this to happen with either one of them. In all of his years at sea as captain, he made sure to keep that boundary line set between him and his crew. He didn’t want to abuse his power and authority being taking advantage of those below him.  But that all changed when the Skywalker twins joined his crew.

Han uncovered his face and picked up the bottle again. He took another swig as he remembered the day he first met them. Luke was full of wonder and adventure as he stepped aboard the _Falcon_. Han was worried he wouldn’t last long on the sea or be able to handle the job but as the years passed, he was surprised to see Luke never lost that quality about him.

Leia was different. Han chuckled as he remembered how she tried passing herself off as a man to join. She seemed to fool a lot of the crew but Han had seen right through it. She was seeking the same adventure as her brother but was more reserved about it.

Luke was the one he fell for first ad he tried like hell to fight it. Luke was kind and caring and Han didn’t think he deserved someone like that in his life, not with everything he’d been through and done. But he couldn’t fight it forever. It took some time for anything to happen with Leia since they constantly butted heads and argued but Luke was always there to calm down the situation and make it all right. Luke was the one to help keep the peace between them. Could Han and Leia’s relationship survive without him around?

Han shuddered at that thought and pushed it out of his mind with more rum. No, he had faith they could make it. They needed each other more than ever right now.

 

A couple of hours passed before there was a knock at Han’s door. Han pushed himself up from his chair and walked over to the door. It was his first mate on the other side.

“I have the list of the lost men as you requested,” he said, handing him a piece of paper.

Han took it and looked at the list. It was longer than he would have liked. “Thank you.”

“We’ve also reached the rendezvous point.”

Han nodded. “I’ll meet you up on the deck.”

Chewbacca walked away as Han turned and crossed his room. He set the list down for later and picked up his belt, wrapping it around his waist. He slipped on his jacket and exited the room.

“Captain on deck!” Chewbacca called as Han stepped up.

The surrounding crew members stopped their work and turned toward him. Han dismissed them and they returned to their work.

“Any sign of him?” Han asked.

“Not yet, although it is getting dark which isn’t helping,” Chewie said as he handed Han the spyglass.

Han took it and peered through it, scanning the beach ahead of him anyway. It was empty. Either Luke was too injured to make it here or …

Han collapsed the spyglass and returned it to Chewie. He kept his composure despite his thoughts for the sake of his reputation in front of crew.

They stood there in silence for a couple of minutes before Chewie asked, “What should we tell Leia?”

“I don’t know.”

 

Leia awoke sometime later that night. Her entire body felt stiff as she slowly sat up, glancing out the small window. She wasn’t sure what time it was or how long she’d been asleep. As she turned away from the window, she noticed a tray of food on top of the small table in the middle of the room. She must have really been out of it if someone was about to enter the room without alerting her. Leia couldn’t remember the last time she slept that heavily. It was way before joining the _Falcon_.

Even though she didn’t have much of an appetite, Leia knew she needed to eat. She carefully eased herself out of the hammock and placed her feet on the floor. She took the couple of steps toward the table and sank down into the chair. She pulled the tray closer to her and began to eat.

The silence of the room enveloped her and only made her wish even more that Luke was there beside her. He was always there to comfort and calm her down after an intense day. She wondered if they had reached the rendezvous point yet. She still held onto her last shred of hope that he was still alive and would be waiting for them.

After eating as much as she could, Leia rose from the chair and stripped out of her ruined shirt. With some careful maneuvering, she pulled the shirt off. Her boots were next before she exited her room. She made a quick trip back to the surgeon to have the wound looked at and bandages changed. Once that was done, she went above deck. She ignored the looks she got from the crew members she passed as she searched for Han.

Once she was on deck, she looked around and saw they were at the point. Leia came across Chewbacca first and she did not like the sorrowful look he gave her when she approached.

Before she could ask where Han was, Chewie said, “He’s in his quarters waiting for you.”

Leia nodded.

“Do you need any assistance?”

“No, thank you, Chewie,” she replied.

As she walked toward the captain’s quarters, Chewie followed silently behind her. They reached the door and Chewie turned his back to her and crossed his arms against his chest. He was going to wait outside to make sure no one disturbed them while they talked.

Leia entered the room without knocking. She was the only person on board who did so and got away with it. Even Luke was considerate to knock.

Han was sitting at his desk, head down as he looked over some papers scattered across it. Even when Leia slammed the door shut to get his attention, he didn’t look up.

Leia walked toward the desk. “Was he there?” she asked.

“No, not that we know of,” Han replied, still keeping his head down. He couldn’t bring himself to look at her at the moment.

“Has it been checked?”

“I’m waiting for Wedge and the others to return. They should be back soon.” Han’s eyes flicked up to her. “Please sit down. You shouldn’t be standing right now.”

“I was shot in the arm, not my leg. I can stand if I want to,” Leia replied.

Han shook his head. “I know that but you were still shot regardless and should be resting. Did you eat the food I had sent to your room?”

“About half of it,” she said.

Han stood up and walked around the desk to her, resting his hand gently on her right shoulder. He was glad she didn’t move away this time. “Leia, please, it’s just us. You don’t have to act tough. I know you’re hurting.”

Leia looked up at him, her jaw clenched tight. “You said you’d keep us safe. That you’d make sure nothing bad would ever happen to us. You promised,” she said, her voice cracking on “promised.”

Han felt like he’d just been stabbed in the gut. He remembered giving them that promise five years ago. It was in this very same room as the three of them were curled up in his bed together. Han had an arm around each of their waists as they slept beside him post sex. He thought they were both asleep when he muttered the words. It was his way of saying “I love you.” As the words left his mouth, Luke and Leia lifted their heads to him, both smiling up at him.

Han meant every word of it even though it was a promise he knew couldn’t keep. Everything was too unpredictable out here on the sea. Today proved that. They’d been lucky to have lasted as long as they did without anything serious happening. He was foolish to think everything would be all right forever.

“I’m sorry I wasn’t able to keep that promise. You know I never wanted anything to ever happen to either of you,” he said.

Leia felt tears well up in her eyes but she was determined not to cry again today.

Han brought his right hand up to caress her cheek. He wanted to tell her everything was going to be alright somehow but he couldn’t bring himself to say it.

As he leaned down for a kiss, there was a knock at the door. Han sighed as he turned toward the door and called out, “What is it?”

“Captain, Wedge has returned,” Chewie said through the door.

“Let him in.”

The door opened and Wedge stepped in. He looked at Han then to Leia. “Sorry to interrupt,” he said.

“It’s fine. How did the search go?” Han asked.

Wedge took a deep breath. “No one was found, sir. We didn’t find him or anyone else.”

Han swallowed and nodded. “Thank you for searching. You’re dismissed.”

Wedge exited the room without another word and once the door was closed behind him, Han turned back to Leia as she buried her face in his chest. There was no use holding back the tears now. Han gently wrapped his arms around her. There went their last bit of hope.

 

Han was only able to sleep for a few hours that night. He was relieved that Leia was able to sleep. Before turning in for the night, Han ordered the crew to sail for Port Royal so they could get more medical supplies and ammunition. It should only take about a day or two’s journey to reach it and they should be able to get by until then. In addition to the supplies, Han just wanted to see Lando. He needed his best friend right about now.

It was early morning, right as the sun began to rise and shine through the windows, that Han decided to get up. As much as he wanted to stay in bed with Leia, he knew better than that. He carefully pulled away from her, trying not to disturb her, and swung his legs over the side of the bed. He made sure she was covered back up before standing up. He shivered as the chilly air hit his naked body and quickly pulled on some breeches and a shirt.

He then sat down at his desk and opened one of the drawers, pulling out a large, leather bound book. He set his captain’s log on the desk and opened it to the last entry. He didn’t feel like updating the night before and figured he needed to do so now.

He picked up the quill and opened the inkpot, dipping the tip in and began writing. He included the number of men lost with the previous day’s events. He couldn’t bear to put Luke with that so instead he wrote, “Boatswain Skywalker missing in action.”

Leia stirred in the bed and slowly opened her eyes, her gaze falling on Han. “Come back to bed,” she mumbled.

Han set the quill down and glanced over at her, resting his chin on his fist. “I’d love too, but there are things I need to take care of.”

“They can wait a little longer. I’m sure no one else is awake this early,” she said.

“I guess I can lay back down for a few more minutes,” Han said, rising from his chair. He knew if he’d laid back down he wouldn’t get out for a while but right now, he couldn’t deny Leia some simple comfort. He knew Chewie would be able to keep an eye on the crew.

Han lifted the covers and slipped beside Leia, scooting closer to her. He pressed his lips against her forehead as he wrapped his arm around her waist. He heard her breathing even out and knew she was back asleep. Soon, he felt his eyes begin to close and before he knew, Han was asleep again.

[ ](http://s1275.photobucket.com/user/whit_merule/media/Promises/div_zpsgjc5nujo.png.html)

They made port the following day. It was a beautiful, sunny day at Port Royal. Han met Chewbacca on deck so they could go into town to get the needed supplies. He pulled his hat down over his eyes as they made their way down the gangplank.

“So, you’re thinking of leaving without me?” Leia called out as she followed behind them.

Han spun around. “Yes, because you need to say aboard and rest.”

“What? I can’t go and visit Lando with you? He’s my friend too. And I have duties as Quartermaster to make sure we get all the proper supplies we need.” Leia gave him her signature look of “you’re not going to tell me what to do Solo.”

Han rolled his eyes. There was no point in arguing and wasting time. “Alright then, let’s go.”

Leia smiled at him as he turned back around and led the way down to the dock.

After speaking with the harbormaster, and slipping him a few extra coins, the three of them made their way into town.

The bell above the door rang as Han pushed open the door. Leia stepped in after him with Chewie behind her.

“Just a moment,” a voice called out from the back room.

They stepped up to the counter and waited until Lando stepped out. A smile spread across his face when he saw them.

“My favorite customers,” he said as he approached. His smile faded as he realized one was missing. “Where’s Luke? Did he stay on the ship?”

He watched as their faces fell or looked away. Lando glanced from Chewie, to Leia, and then to Han as he waited for one of them to explain. When no one spoke, he said, “I’m sorry for your loss.”

“Thank you, Lando,” Leia said.

Lando waited for someone to elaborate more but when they didn’t he asked, “So, what brings you in here today?”

“First, we need some supplies,” Han answered, his voice tight.”

Lando nodded and called for his shop assistant. A younger man approached the counter.

“Chewie has the lists of what we need,” Han said. Chewie stepped forward and pulled some papers from inside his jacket. Han looked to Lando. “Can we talk in private?”

“Of course.”

Han followed Lando into the back and up the stairs to Lando’s home above the shop. It was nicely decorated and furnished, especially compared to how most homes around the town looked. It was easy for Lando to afford the finer things with the type of shop he owned. Everyone came to him for supplies.

Han sat down on the small couch while Lando took the adjacent chair next to him. Han removed his hat and set it down on the table in front of him.

“How did it happen?” Lando prompted.

Han took a deep breath and said, “We were out on a recent venture when we were ambushed by another crew. I don’t know how they knew we were there but they did because they were already there waiting for us. Someone on my crew must have drunkenly let it slip.”

“Who was it?” Lando asked, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees.

Han sighed. “I don’t know exactly but I have this feeling it was Jabba that sent them. I know he’s still after me for that spice run that went bad.”

“He’s still not over that? That was nearly six, seven years ago.”

Han shrugged. “Yeah but he doesn’t let things go like that,” he said.

“Yeah, I guess you’re right. How are you and Leia holding up?”

“How do you think?” Han asked.

Lando tried not to let Han’s attitude affect him. He knew his friend was only deflecting. “You said you wanted to talk and I’m here to listen.”

Han ran his hand over his face. He wanted to talk to Lando about it but he didn’t know where to start.

“It’s just me, Han. You can say whatever you’re feeling. I’m not going to judge you for it. And if you like, I won’t mention any of it to Leia if you’re worried about that,” Lando continued.

Han was quiet for a moment; this is why he came to see Lando. He cleared his throat and said, “It was all my fault.”

“How? You couldn’t have known about the ambush.”

Han shook his head. “But _I_ left him behind on the beach!” he snapped.

Lando wasn’t fazed by his outburst and calmly asked, “I’m sure you had a reason to do so. What happened?”

“We were trying to get off the beach when this man came up behind us. Luke stopped to fight him off. Before I could try and help him, Leia was shot and was bleeding badly. I had to get her out of there but couldn’t go back for Luke.”

“I’m sure that’s what Luke wanted, you two to get out of there safely.”

Han laughed. “That’s Luke all right. Always more concerned with others more than himself.” He leaned forward, mimicking Lando’s posture, as he clasped his hands tightly together. He dropped his gaze and said softly, “It’s only been two days and I don’t know what I’m going to do after this now that Luke’s gone.”

Lando gazed at him before reaching out and placing his hand on Han’s shoulder, trying to give him some form of comfort. They sat like there for a minute in silence.

“You warned me about falling in love like this. I was hoping you wouldn’t be right about this,” Han said, glancing over at Lando.

“I didn’t want to be either,” he replied, squeezing Han’s shoulder. Usually, he loved being right and rubbing it in Han’s face but not this time. He wanted to be wrong.

Tears betrayed Han as they slowly ran down his cheeks. This was the first time he’d cried since it happened. He’d kept himself together for Leia’s sake, wanting to be strong for her, but now that he’d said out loud that Luke was gone, he couldn’t hold back anymore.

Lando sat there as Han cried. In all the years they’d known each other, he couldn’t recall more than a couple of times that Han cried in front of him. “Just let it out, Han. It does no good for you to keep it all bottled up like that,” he said, soothingly.

Han nodded but didn’t reply.

They continued to sit there as Han continued to cry. As time passed, he slowly began to feel better now that he released all his pent up emotions.

Han wiped his away the tears.

“Feel better?” Lando asked.

Han nodded as he leaned back against the couch.

There was a knock at the door, causing them to both turn their attention to it.

“Lando, there’s a messenger here for you,” came Leia’s voice through the door.

Lando rose from his chair and started toward the door.

“Don’t let her see me like this,” Han said.

Lando glanced back at him. “I think it might do you some good if you two talked this out together,” he said. Before Han could argue with him, Lando opened the door and smiled at Leia. “Thank you for letting me know. Come in and sit while I go see what this is about.”

Leia entered the room after Lando stepped out, closing the door behind her. She took one look at Han and knew he’d been crying, his eyes red and puffy. “Oh, Han,” she said as she crossed the room.

She sat down next to him on the couch and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, pulling his body toward her. Han let her move him and leaned his head against her shoulder. She ran her fingers through his hair.

“You don’t have to act so tough all the time. Not with me,” she said, repeating his words back to him. “You may have the crew fooled but I see right through you.”

Han smiled. Before he could come up with a witty comeback, Lando stepped back into the room. He glanced up at his friend and saw his grave expression and unopened letter in his hand.

Han immediately sat up as Leia asked, “What is it, Lando?”

“You remember how you thought it was Jabba behind the ambush?” Lando asked, walking across the room.

Leia shook Han a questioning look. He hadn’t mentioned that to her.

Han ignored her as he nodded.

“You may have been right about that,” Lando said, holding the letter out to Han.

Han took the letter and flipped it over to see the wax seal with Jabba’s symbol. “Why are you giving this to me?” he asked, glancing back up at Lando.

“Because the messenger instructed me to do so. I guess Jabba assumed you would come here.”

Han glanced back down at the letter. This was not a good sign.

“Open it,” Leia said.

Han broke the seal and unfolded the paper. Something fell from the letter onto the floor. Han reached down and picked up a small lock of blond hair. He exchanged glances with Leia before reading the letter. Leia leaned in close to read along with him. She gasped and covered her mouth with her hand as she read.

“What does it say?” Lando asked, looking from one to the other.

Han slowly looked up at him. “Luke is alive.”

 

[ ](http://s1275.photobucket.com/user/whit_merule/media/Promises/stormy%20sea_zpsfospdtpm.png.html)

Luke slowly opened his eyes, blinking a couple of times as he raised his head. The cell he was in was dark and disgusting, smelling of piss and whatever else was done there. There was no window, the only light source coming from a lantern a few feet away from him, so Luke knew he was deep in the ship.

He had no idea how long he’d been there since the beach. All he remembered was searing pain, being knocked out, and waking up in this cell with his right wrist and hand bandaged. Luke could barely move his hand and that worried him.

The only thing he did know was whose ship he was on. Captain Jabba. Of course it had been him.

For whatever reason, the man had a vendetta against Han and he wanted to now use Luke to get back at him. Like Luke would let that happen. He knew Han did something to him years before he met him but Luke didn’t think it warranted this. He’d rather die than betray his lover.

That certainly was a possibility given the condition of his hand. He didn’t have to see it to know the wound on his wrist was infected. There was probably no way to save his right hand now and if he stayed here like this, the infection would surely spread and take his life.

Luke was always aware he could die on any raid or during a fight. If he was going to go out, that’s how he wanted it to be; not alone in a dank, piss-smelling cell. He honestly wouldn’t have minded dying on that beach as a better alternative to this. The only thought that comforted him was that Han and Leia were safe. That’s what he kept telling himself at least. He knew Leia had been shot but also that Han had got her back to the ship. Threepio would have taken care of her from there.

Luke still heard Leia screaming his name as Han dragged her away. He hoped in time she’d be able to forgive him. He leaned his head back against the ship and thought back to the promise he made to Leia the night before the ran away from home.

_Luke and Leia were lying in bed, facing each other. Leia’s long, flowing hair was down and over her shoulders, covering her white nightgown. Luke reached out and brushed a few strands out of her face, tucking it behind her ear._

_He let his fingers trail down her cheek and before he could pull away, Leia grabbed his hand and laced their fingers together. “No matter what happens after tomorrow, promise me we’ll always be together,” she whispered._

_Luke smiled and said, “We’ll always be together, Leia. I’ll make sure of that.”_

_Leia gazed at him and Luke knew she was still worried. The world was dangerous and too unpredictable. There was no real way to guarantee his words._

_“You just have to trust me,” he said. He leaned forward and pressed his lips to her forehead, breathing in her sweet smell from her bath. “I’ll always fight to make sure nothing bad happens to you.”_

_That promise, Luke was going to keep until his dying breath._

And that same promise he would keep to Leia, here and now.

His thoughts then turned to Han. Luke knew he put him in a difficult position back on the beach. It wasn’t fair to essentially make him choose between the two of them, but Luke couldn’t let anything happen to either of them.

_“The three of us are in this together, you got that?” Han said to him after their first raid gone bad._

_Luke sat at Han’s desk in his quarters. He’d been shot, the bullet grazing his side. He rubbed his hand against the bandage._

_Han glanced down at the bandage. “Looks like you got your first battle scar. There’ll be more to go with that one after this,” he said, trying to make light of the situation._

_“Hopefully nothing too serious,” said Leia, from Han’s bed. She sat cross-legged, brushing out her hair. “I like him just the way he is.”_

_Han smiled, glancing over at her. “So do I. We’ll just have to make sure nothing else happens to him.”_

_Luke rolled his eyes. “I’m sitting right here you know. And I can take care of myself,” he huffed._

_Han looked back down at him and wrapped his arm around his shoulders. “We know you can. But the three of us, we’ll always have each other’s backs no matter what.” He leaned in, pressing his lips to Luke’s._

_Luke slowly closed his eyes and gave into him. He was glad to have the two of them looking out for him._

The boat rocked against a heavy wave, nearly knocking Luke over onto his side, bringing him out of his reminiscing. The boat creaked around him as he settled back into a comfortable position.

Luke wondered what Han and Leia were doing right now. Did they assume he was dead? He wouldn’t blame them if they did. It was probably better that way than them trying to rescue him. The whole point of him staying behind on the beach was so that they could escape. The last thing he wanted was for them to put themselves in harm’s way to save him.

[ ](http://s1275.photobucket.com/user/whit_merule/media/Promises/div_zpsgjc5nujo.png.html)

“We have to save him,” Leia said.

“How do you know what this letter says is true?” Lando asked. “This is Jabba we’re talking about. The man is ruthless.”

Leia pushed herself off the couch and started pacing back and forth. “He’s still alive, I know he is.”

“Is this some kind of twin thing?” Lando asked. Leia glared at him and he raised his hands in surrender. “I’m sorry but how can you be so sure?”

“Why are you so determined to fight me on this?” Leia snapped, stopping in place, her hands curled into fists at her sides.

“I’m not,” Lando replied gently, trying to defuse the rising tension in the room. “I’m just trying to be the voice of reason here. The two of you have recently been through a lot and may not be thinking clearly on this matter. This could be a trap.”

“Of course it’s a trap,” Han said, dropping the letter onto the table. Lando and Leia turned their attention to him. “Jabba wants me and he’s going to use Luke to get to me. He says he has Luke alive but he could be dead for all we know. Or, even if he still is alive, he won’t be for long.”

Han picked up the lock of Luke’s hair and twirled it between his fingers.

Leia pulled her mother’s necklace out from underneath her shirt and rubbed the pendant between her fingers. “He’s alive and we have to get him back.”

Han was silent as he stared at the hair. There was no doubt in his mind he wanted to go and rescue Luke. He wanted to believe he was still alive. It would be a foolish thing to do though, going to meet with Jabba. Not only did it put himself in danger but also his crew for leaving them behind. That would open them up to any kind of attack with their captain gone. But he’d tried avoiding Jabba as long as he could and it was time he ended this once and for all.

“Of course we’re going to get him back,” Han eventually said, looking up at Leia. “We just need a plan besides handing myself over to Jabba, and we only have until tomorrow morning to come up with something.”

 

After hours of planning, handing Han over to Jabba was exactly what they were going to do. He’d do as the letter instructed and meet Jabba’s men on the docks the following morning alone. That was the first part of the plan.

The following morning, Han kissed Leia goodbye before stepping out of his quarters. “Don’t worry, we’re both coming back alive,” he told her.

“I know,” she said.

Han gazed at her one last time before walking away, leaving her alone in his room. She had taken to staying with him every night since the leaving the beach. Neither one of them could stand to sleep alone.

If this plan went to hell, this would probably be the last time they saw each other. Jabba could easily shoot him on sight before their plan could even work.

Chewbacca and Lando were waiting for Han on deck. Only a couple of other necessary crew members on deck while the rest were below getting ready, just as Han ordered.

He looked up at Chewie. “If anything goes wrong, you’re in charge and the ship is yours. Take care of the crew for me. I know you can,” he said.

“Won’t have to because you’re coming back,” Chewie replied.

“I want that too but you know what to do in case that doesn’t happen. Look after Leia for me, okay?”

Chewie nodded.

Han then turned to Lando.

“We’ll be right behind you,” Lando said.

“Thank you for volunteering to come along and help. I know it’s been years since you’ve been out here,” Han said.

Lando waved him off and said, “Anything for my friends.” He threw his arm around Han and gave him a pat on the back. “Kill the bastard as soon as you get the chance,” he said into his ear.

Han nodded and pulled away. He certainly was going to kill Jabba if it was the last thing he would do. “Better get going before they think something is up.”

Chewbacca and Lando silently watched Han leave the ship before getting into their positions to wait for the next part of the plan.

Han made his way to the other end of the docks. He saw a couple of smaller vessels ahead of him but he wasn’t sure which one was from Jabba. As he neared the first one, he saw a group of three men exit the second one. That must be the one, he thought. As he drew closer, he recognized the man in the middle.

“Fett! Didn’t think you’d still be sailing around with Jabba,” Han greeted as he stopped in front of them. He rested his hand on his hip, close to his pistol.

“Keep your hands where we can see them, Solo,” Fett ordered. He watched as Han removed his hand, letting is fall to his side before continuing. “And unlike some, I don’t abandon my captain and crew.”

“I just had better plans for myself than staying with someone like your lovely captain,” Han replied. “I should have known he’d send you to fetch me.”

“He didn’t, I volunteered. Now, enough with the talking.” Fett stepped forward and said, “Get on the ship.”

Han was led up to the ship with Fett behind him. Once on board, he was stripped of his weapons and forced below deck where his hands were tied together.

“Is this really necessary?” Han asked as he led to a cell. “I did agree to meet with Jabba.”

“Just the precautions we’re taking with you. Don’t want you trying anything,” Fett replied before shoving him into the cell. He locked the door behind him.

Han was glad he was left alone after that. He found a spot to sit on the floor and leaned back against the ship. He soon felt the movement as the ship pulled away from the dock.

“I’m coming for you, Luke,” he said out loud.

[ ](http://s1275.photobucket.com/user/whit_merule/media/Promises/oh%20look%20a%20ship_zpssucc7zck.png.html)

Since he was in the cell the whole time, Han wasn’t sure where he was being taken to meet with Jabba.

Fett eventually returned and unlocked the cell door. “On your feet,” he said.

Han forced himself up without much use of his hands in the most dignified way he could and stepped out. Fett grabbed him by the arm and led him above deck.

Han blinked as the bright sunlight hit him as he gazed around to take in their surroundings. He kept himself from smiling as he realized Jabba was the stupid, cocky bastard he remembered him as. They were right at the spot he thought they’d be. Now, if only the _Falcon_ could get there in time this would all go according to plan.

He was soon pulled toward the side of the ship and ordered by Fett to cross over to Jabba’s flagship. Han scanned the larger ship’s deck for any sign of Luke but didn’t see him anywhere. He did see Jabba standing there, waiting for him. It was hard to miss the large and ill-dressed man, even from a distance.

“Han Solo!” Jabba called, raising his hands into the air as Han stepped onto his ship. “So nice to see you again after so many years.”

“It’s nice to see you, too,” Han replied though there was no truth to his words. He tried to keep his anger in check as he looked at the man. If he could strike him down now, he would. “Where’s Luke?”

“We’ll get to your _boy_ later,” Jabba replied, smirking.

“How do I know he’s still alive?”

“You’ll have to trust me on it. How about we untie your hands and talk,” Jabba said. He motioned for someone and a crew member approached Han, removing the rope from his hands.

Han rubbed his wrists but kept his eyes locked on Jabba. He knew he had to play along until he could see Luke. Least this would buy him some time until the others arrived. “What do you want to talk about?”

 

Leia stood above deck close to the wheel as Chewie stirred the ship. Lando was beside her.

“Did you ever think this kind of life was worth it?” he asked, keeping his gaze ahead of them on the open sea.

“Yes,” she said, glancing sideways at him.

“Even now?” he asked, turning to face her.

Leia dropped her gaze and remained silent.

Lando stared at her for moment and said, “You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to. I’m just worried about what this is going to do you and Han if he can’t save Luke.”

“Do you think Jabba would let Han go after this?” Leia asked.

“Yes because I can see Jabba killing Luke as payback and leaving Han to live with that for the rest of his life. It’ll destroy him,” Lando replied.

Leia felt her body tense up at his blunt answer. She was worried that would happen.

“This is why I warned Han about falling in love with the two of you. His feelings for you are now being turned against him.”

Leia looked back at Lando, raising an eyebrow. “You did?”

Lando nodded. “Because of his position and past dealings with Jabba, I did. I was trying to look after him. He likes to pretend he doesn’t care for anyone but himself but Han has a big heart. It was only a matter of time before it was used against him.” Lando put his hand on Leia’s shoulder. “Don’t take it personally. I would have him the same thing regardless of who he got involved with.”

“You were just trying to look after your friend. I respect that,” she said, giving him a half-smile.

Lando removed his hand and stepped away to speak with Chewbacca, leaving Leia alone to her thoughts.

Leia remembered how she held her own reservations for falling for Han in the beginning. Luke fell so hard for him right away. It worried her at first, and she thought Han would come between her and Luke. It had been just the two of them for so long and here came this pirate to ruin it all. Luke was quick to reassure her that would never happen. After a few long talks, Leia agreed it was okay for Luke to see Han as well, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t sad the first time Luke slept with Han.

Luke just had so much love to share between the two of them. Over time, it became less of a problem for Leia. She was surprised when Han started making advances on her. Leia was quick to shut him down and when it kept happening, she went straight to Luke, enraged that Han would make advances on her when he was with Luke.

_Leia threw open the door to her shared room with Luke. He glanced up from the book he was reading as she began going on about what Han had suggested to her just then._

_His smiled confused her. “I know, Leia. Me and Han have already discussed this. He likes you, too, but didn’t know what to do about his feelings since he was with me. I explained to him I didn’t mind if he saw you as well. He didn’t know if you were interested in him so I told him to talk to you about it. I guess that didn’t go so well.”_

_“Wait, what?” Leia asked, trying to process everything Luke had just said._

_“If you don’t like him in return, that’s fine. Just say so and he’ll stop.”_

_Leia was quiet as she thought it over. She hadn’t thought about it too much but she couldn’t deny she didn’t find herself attracted to their captain; even if they fought at times. She just didn’t realize he had feelings for her too. “So, it’s really okay with you?” she asked._

_Luke nodded. “Yes. You’re the two people I care about most and would love for the three of us to all be together, if you want that too.”_

_“I think I’d like that.”_

What would happen now? Leia pushed that thought out of her mind as quick as it came. She wasn’t going to start thinking about that right now. Han _and_ Luke were coming back to her alive, even if she had to be the one to kill Jabba.

 

Han was anxious. He’d been there for hours now and he still hadn’t seen Luke nor the _Falcon_ and he didn’t know how long he could keep Jabba distracted.

“Enough already,” Jabba said, finally having enough of his talking.

Han was surprised he lasted as long as he did. He was beginning to worry why Jabba let him go on like he did.

“You know, there was a time when I would have forgiven you for what you did to me. You had been a valued member of my crew and I thought I could trust you,” Jabba said, walking around Han with his hands behind his back.

Han had to turn around to keep his eyes on him. He wasn’t going to let his back be to him. “And now?” he prompted.

“Now, I just want you to suffer. You’ve gone too long without any punishment for the trouble you cost me with that stunt. Not only did I lose the whole shipment of spices and other items, but you lost me my favorite ship,” Jabba said, stopping in his place. “And because of that, I’m going to take away one of your favorite things. Bring him out!”

Han’s eyes widened when he saw Luke pushed out on the deck in front of him. Luke lost his balance and fell, barely able to catch himself on his left because of his bound hands, before he hit the deck. “Luke!” he called out.

Luke slowly raised his head, not believing it was Han’s voice. If so, that meant Han was there and that was exactly what he didn’t want. The bright sun temporarily blinded him before his eyes adjusted to the first light he’d seen in three days. Sure enough, he was there. “Han?” he said, voice cracking from his dry throat.

Han tried running to him but was grabbed by two of Jabba’s men and held in place. He struggled against their hold but it was no use. “Just let me see him,” Han demanded as he glared at Jabba.

Jabba smirked as he walked toward Luke. “Get up, boy, he wants to see you,” he said, giving Luke a kick with his boot.

Luke bit his lip to keep from crying out. He was not going to show Jabba any weakness despite the pain he was in. He slowly pushed himself up off the deck, his legs shaking as he stood up.

Han took in Luke’s dirty clothing and knew he’d been kept in horrible conditions. The thought of that alone fueled his rage but not more than seeing Luke’s right hand. There was a blood-soaked bandaged wrapped around his wrist underneath the rope that tied his hands together. It didn’t look good.

“You’ll pay for what you’ve done to him. Mark my words,” Han called out as he tried getting away from his captors. He never wanted to kill Jabba more than he did right then.

Jabba laughed as he turned back to face Han. “Is that so? I’m not through with him yet.” He glanced at a crew member and nodded.

Han watched as the man grabbed Luke by the arm and start dragging him to the edge of the ship where a plank had been raised. “You’ll regret this, Jabba!” Han yelled.

As Luke was forced up onto the plank, Han put all of his efforts into knocking one of the guys off of him. With one arm free, he punched the other one in the face. It was enough to slip out of his grasp and run toward Luke. He’d be damned if he let him go overboard.

Just before he could reach him, a shot fired.

Han went down as his leg gave out from under him. His hand instantly went to the wound on his leg. It seemed to have grazed him but there was still blood. He looked back to see Fett lower his gun.

“Han, don’t do this,” Luke said, looking back at him.

Han’s head whipped around to gaze up at Luke. “What do you mean? I’m here trying to save you,” he said. He ignored the laughs and comments from the men surrounding them.

Luke had already accepted he was going to die here. He didn’t want to, but he knew that was how it was going to go. Having Han here made it all the harder for him. The last thing Luke wanted was for Han to witness this. “You shouldn’t have come here.”

Han was hauled up to his feet and held again to keep him from getting to Luke. He didn’t understand why Luke didn’t want his help.

“I’m trying to keep you and Leia safe.” Jabba had told him the previous night that if he didn’t do as he was told, he would kill Han. Luke couldn’t let that happen.

Luke turned back around and looked at the open sea in front of him. It was so peaceful and tranquil, a stark contrast to the emotions swirling inside of him. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

“Come on now, we don’t have all day,” someone shouted behind him.

Luke slowly took a step forward, trying to keep his balance the best he could. It only took a few steps to reach the edge. The plank wobbled underneath his weight as he stood there. He glanced back over his shoulder to see Han one last time. He smiled brightly at him and said, “I love you, Han. Take care of Leia for me.”

“No, Luke! Don’t do this!” Han screamed. This was not happening.

 

Leia rubbed her mother’s pendant between her fingers. “Are we there yet?” she asked Chewie.

“Yes, we’re almost there,” he replied.

She hoped they were there on time.

“I think I see Jabba’s ship,” Lando said. He pulled out his spyglass and peered through it. “There’s someone standing on the plank.”

Leia rushed to his side. “Let me see,” she said, raising her hand.

Lando handed the spyglass over and Leia quickly brought it up to her face.

“That’s gotta be Luke. We have to hurry,” she said.

“This is the fastest ship in the Caribbean and we’re going as fast as we can,” Chewie said.

“Ready the cannons!” Leia ordered to the men on the deck. “Prepare to fire on command!” She raised the spyglass and watched as Luke walked to the edge of the plank. “Wedge, get a boat in the water now!”

“Leia, what’s going on?” Lando asked.

“Luke is about to jump.”

Without a reply, Lando ran down the steps and toward Wedge and the other men who were lowering a boat over the side. “I’m coming with you,” he said.

Wedge nodded as Lando climbed in and helped with the descent. He hoped they could reach him in time.

 

Luke looked ahead of him and saw a familiar vessel. He shook his head. He should have known Han would try something like this. He doubted they would reach him in time. Luke pictured Leia, smiling at him in his mind. “I’m sorry I couldn’t keep my promises to you,” he said, softly to himself, before stepping off the edge.

Han screamed Luke’s name as he disappeared from sight. He had failed. He promised Leia he would bring her brother back alive. But now that that promise was broken, he was going to see to it that Jabba wouldn’t live another day.

Han hung his head low, wanting to sink to his knees but was held up by the two men on either side of him.

Jabba laughed from behind him as he enjoyed seeing Han in this state. “How does it feel to lose something that you loved? Now, we are even.”

Han clenched his jaw. How can one compare a ship to a human life? One way or another, Jabba was determined to kill Luke just to make him suffer as payback.

 As he was about to respond, a crew member spoke up, “Captain, what’s that ship doing over there?”

Han’s head jerked up as he saw his ship heading straight toward them. He smiled as he looked at Jabba. Now he would get his revenge.

Jabba walked toward the edge of the ship, resting his hands against the railing. “Looks like someone broke the rules,” he said. “Ready the weapons,” he commanded.

Just as he did, cannonballs crashed into the side of the ship. The force of their impact caused some to lose their balance at the unexpected hit.

Han was lucky that the two men holding him stumbled, loosening their grip on him. He was able to break free from them and ran straight at Jabba. He forgot his weapons had been taken from him as he tried to grab his pistol that was not at his side. “Shit,” Han said. This wasn’t good.

 

Luke struggled to keep his head above water with his hands still tied. As he tried to wiggle his wrists, the rope cut into his wound. The pain was immense but he had to get his hands free or he was going to drown.

After a few good tugs, the rope eased off his wrists. The man who originally tied it did not to a good job and Luke was thankful for it. But even with his hands free, he was still in no condition to swim and had nowhere to even swim to.

He looked back toward _The Falcon_ and noticed a longboat making its way to him. If he could just swim a little towards it, he might actually make it. That was easier said than done as he tried swimming with his injured hand. There was little he could do with it and the pain was too much. The current had helped push him away from Jabba’s ship but he still wasn’t close enough. All he could do was stay above water as long as he could.

 

Lando kept his eyes locked on Luke in the water so that they didn’t lose him. “We have to go faster. He’s not going to last long,” he said.

“We’re rowing as fast as we can,” Wedge replied.

Lando knew they were doing the best they could but it still wasn’t enough. As he looked up at Jabba’s ship, he was worried they would open fire on them if they got too close. It wouldn’t do any good if they got Luke aboard to only be shot moments later. Then he had an idea.

“Keep going toward Jabba’s ship. I’m going to get Luke,” he said, throwing off his jacket and pulling off his boots.

“You’re doing what?” Wedge asked.

Lando’s response was to jump into the water. He swam as if _his_ life depended on it. This was a dangerous move to make since there were most likely sharks in the water but he didn’t care. He had to get to Luke.

 

Luke’s arms were getting tired, making it harder to keep his head above the water. He didn’t think he could keep it up much longer. He thought he saw someone jump out of the boat but wasn’t quite sure as he was knocked underwater by a strong current.

He pulled himself briefly back up for a moment, gasping for air, before he went back under. He held his breath as he let the water push him around. He closed his eyes against the stinging water.

Out of nowhere, he felt an arm wrap around his right side and hoist him up. As he broke the surface, his eyes flew open as he sucked in a deep breath.

“I’ve got you, Luke.”

He turned to the side and was surprised to see Lando. Either this was really happening or he was dying and seeing things. Regardless, Luke tried helping by moving his left arm as they swam back toward the boat.

It wasn’t easy but they eventually were able to make it. Wedge dropped his oar and helped pull Luke into the boat. Lando waited until he was in before climbing in himself.

“Let’s get the hell out of here,” he said.

“You got it,” Wedge said.

 

Leia load her pistol and waited at the edge of the ship as they drew closer to Jabba’s. She watched as Luke was pulled onto the longboat and was relieved. He was alive. They wouldn’t be able to bring them back aboard the ship as they continued to sail but she knew the men in the boat were smart enough to get out of the way until they could.

“Fire!” she called out. Her command was relied down to the cannons and soon, smoke filled the air as cannonballs flew toward the other ship. She smiled as they slammed into the side. “Reload!”

A few minutes later, another round of cannon balls flew at toward Jabba’s ship, striking it again. They were doing good so far since they had the element of surprise, but it wasn’t going to last long now that their presence was known. It was only a matter of time before the shots were returned on them.

 

Han was able to knock a man down to take his weapon but all he had was a cutlass. Han grabbed it anyway even though he was better with a pistol. Regardless, he could still kill Jabba with it and that’s all that mattered.

He gripped the sword tight in his hand and charged at Jabba. Before he could reach him, Fett jumped in his way, swinging his own cutlass at him. Han was quick enough to bring his up in time to block the attack and stumbled backwards. He was going to have to get rid of Fett before he could get to Jabba.

 

Even with the cannons being fired at them, the _Falcon_ was able to pull up close enough to Jabba’s ship.

“Prepare to board,” Leia shouted.

Most of the men on deck rushed to the side, climbing on the railing and taking a rope in their hands. Leia did the same and was one of the first to swing over. She landed on the other deck and drew her sword. Men rushed at her but she dodged them, her eyes only on Jabba, who was running away from the fight as fast as he could.

Han saw Leia passed him and followed her path, realizing she was going after Jabba alone. He couldn’t let her go up against him alone. He might look slow but he was a good swordsman. He tried to break away from Fett but couldn’t shake him.

“Trying to leave? I’m not finished with you yet, Solo,” Fett said, taking another swing at him.

Han had to jump back to avoid being stabbed. He really wished he had spent more time practicing his sword fighting with Luke when he’d had the chance.

 

Leia continued after Jabba and soon cornered him on the other side of the ship. “You’re not getting away with what you did to my brother,” she said, raising her sword at him.

“You can blame Solo for that,” he said, drawing his own sword.

Leia narrowed her eyes, focusing all the rage she’d felt for the past few days at the man in front of her. She was going to make him pay for what he did to them. With a yell, she lunged at him, sword in the air.

 

Han was barely keeping up with Fett now. His leg was aching and he wasn’t sure how much longer he could hold on. Han lost his balance and as he fell back, he saw Fett raise his sword, ready for the final blow. As Han tried to raise his sword to block, he saw Chewbacca appear behind Fett.

The sword ran into Fett’s back, causing him to still. His cutlass fell from his hands and landed next to Han. As Chewie pulled his sword away, Fett dropped to his knees on the deck before slumping down to his side.

Han smiled up at Chewie as the other offered him his hand to help him up. “Man, am I glad to see you,” Han said.

Chewie grinned as he handed Han a pistol and pouch.

“Thanks. Now, let’s go find Leia.”

 

Leia hadn’t expected Jabba to be as good as he was when it came to fighting but that didn’t stop her from giving it her all. She wasn’t afraid of him. She did have the advantage of being smaller and could move faster. Leia was able to slice his arm but it didn’t seem to slow him down much.

“You’re not bad for a woman. I’m actually surprised,” Jabba said.

Leia gritted her teeth and ignored his words. She didn’t need _him_ to tell her she was good at fighting.

“Leia, get down!” she heard Han call behind her.

Without hesitating, Leia immediately dropped down as Han fired a shot straight at Jabba. She watched as the bullet struck him right in the chest. She quickly jumped back up and rushed forward while Jabba was distracted and ran her sword straight into his belly.

“Take that you bastard,” she said, twisting the sword inside of him.

Jabba was unable to speak, only garbled noises escaped his lips as he began to sag toward the deck.

Leia pulled her sword from him and stepped back, watching him bleed out before her. She heard Han approach her from behind and stop beside her but she kept her eyes on the dying man in front of her.

After a moment, Han grabbed her hand, pulling her back to reality. “Come on, Leia. Let’s go,” he said.

She looked up at him and nodded. Han bent down and picked up Jabba’s sword. With one last glance at Jabba, Leia turned and followed Han. Chewie joined them at her other side as they walked back toward the rest of the fighting.

There were bodies laid about on the deck. Some theirs, some Jabba’s.

“Captain Jabba is dead!” Han shouted. “This fight is over!”

That caught the attention of the majority of the men as they looked up to where Han was standing. Han tossed Jabba’s sword out on the deck for all to see. The majority of Jabba’s crew cried out in joy at the fact he was gone. It was clear that even though he was their captain, he wasn’t very loved by his crew.

“What do we do now?” Chewie asked.

“I think there is someone Han would like to see first,” Leia replied, getting a strange look from Han.

 

Back on the _Falcon_ , Luke laid in the bed as Threepio worked on cleaning the wound on his wrist. The pain was unbearable, causing Luke to occasionally scream out in pain. Lando was kind enough to offer Luke his hand to squeeze as he pressed the cold, damp cloth to his forehead. He was glad Lando stayed with him even with all the fighting going on above them. Wedge posted himself by the door, pistol in hand in case anyone tried attacking them. Lando sat next to him with his pistol in his lap.

Threepio was still working on his hand he saw Han at the door. It took Luke a moment to focus enough on the man before him to make sure Han was really there or not. He weakly smiled up at him and mumbled, “Han.”

Han couldn’t believe the sight before him. He felt like he was dreaming because he was so sure he’d never see Luke again.

Lando pulled his hand away from Luke and stood up, motioning for Han and Leia to take his place. He scooted out of the way as the two of them walked toward the bed. Lando grabbed another chair and set it by the bed so they both could sit down.

Han didn’t take his eyes off of Luke as he sat down. He took Luke’s hand into his.

“That was stupid to come after me like that, you know,” Luke said.

“I know but I had to get you back,” said Han. It had to be about the stupidest thing he’d ever done but he’d do it all again for either of the twins.

Luke’s gaze shifted to Leia. “I’m glad to see you, too, Leia.”

Leia smiled as she leaned forward and said, “I knew you were still alive.”

“I’m just glad you didn’t get hurt or _killed_ trying to rescue me,” Luke said before wincing at something Threepio did.

Han looked over at his wrist then up at Threepio. “How’s it looking?”

The older man sighed. “Not good. If he had been brought to me right away, I might have been able to do more for it but now…” He gave Han a grim look. “He needs to have the hand removed.”

Luke’s eyes widened at that as he turned to the surgeon. He’d seen plenty of other sailors over the years with missing hands or limbs, he just didn’t want it to happen to him.

Threepio turned to him and gave him a half-smile. “It’s the only thing we can do for you. I’m sorry, Master Luke,” he said before rising from his stool. He walked over to the table where he kept his amputation tools.

Luke looked down at his hand. How could he swing a sword without his main hand?

“It’ll be okay, Luke,” Leia said. “We’ll be here to help you.”

Luke looked back over at her and Han and nodded. Part of him was worried what they might think of him once his hand was gone but in that moment, Luke wasn’t going to worry about that. He was back home and that was all that mattered.

[ ](http://s1275.photobucket.com/user/whit_merule/media/Promises/div_zpsgjc5nujo.png.html)

Luke cursed as his sword hit the deck. This was the third time in a row he’d been disarmed.

“Again, Luke, you’re getting it,” Han said, lowering his own cutlass.

Luke wiped the sweat from his bow before bending over and picking up his sword. Despite Han’s encouragement, hse didn’t feel like he was getting any better.

It had been a couple of months since the incident with Jabba and Threepio has just given Luke to okay to get back to his duties on the ship. Luke was grateful since he was going stir crazy not being able to do anything around the ship. Leia had taken on his responsibilities as Boatswain until he was ready, which he appreciated, but he hated making her do more work on his account.

Even with being headed and able to move about again, learning to function only one hand was taking its time. Luke still caught himself trying to reach for things with his right hand that was no longer there. He didn’t eat with the rest of the crew anymore. The pitiful looks he got from the rest of the crew only made him feel worse.

Overall, Luke felt worthless. He could barely last in a fight against Han and Han was no swordsman. Luke appreciated Han’s offer to help him train but it was only making him feel worse.

‘’I think I’ve tried enough for today,” Luke said, sliding the sword into his belt.

Luke turned on his heel and walked away, heading for below deck. He heard Han call after him but he didn’t stop.

 

Luke entered his quarters, relieved to be alone. He removed his jacket and belt, setting them down on the back of a chair before climbing into his hammock.

As he closed his eyes, he heard the door open.

“A bit unusual seeing you lay about during the day,” Leia said, closing the door.

“Threepio said to take it slow and rest when I could so that is what I’m doing,” he replied. When he felt the hammock rock, he opened his eyes to see Leia climbing in with him. It reminded him of how she would climb into his bed when they were younger and one of them was upset. “And I could ask you the same question, dear sister.”

“Because this is the only way I can see and spend time with you despite sharing a room,” she replied as she settled in. “You’ve been avoiding Han and me.”

Luke had to hand it to her for always being direct when she wanted to discuss something.

“You can talk to me about anything, Luke. You’ve always come to me when something was wrong but you haven’t lately. I don’t want you to feel like you’re alone because you’re not.”

Luke sighed. “I know, it’s just… I’m not the same anymore. I can’t do the same things as before. I can’t even swordfight. What good am I?”

Leia reached up and gently rested her hand on the side of his face, caressing his cheek with her thumb. “Your worth is not tied to your fighting, Luke. You are so much more than that.”

Luke wanted to believe her but that was easier said than done.

Leia pressed her lips to his forehead before resting her forehead against his. “We love you no matter what, Luke. Don’t ever think differently. Now, get some rest.”

As she started to get up, Luke grabbed her arm.

“Can you stay with me for a bit?”

Leia nodded as she laid back down. She wrapped her arm around Luke as he leaned his head in the crook of her neck.

It wasn’t long before he drifted off to sleep.

 

Later that night after dinner, Luke knocked on the door and waited until he heard, “Come in.”

He pushed opened the door and saw Han sitting on his bed. “You wanted to see me?” he asked, stepping into the room.

Han rose from the bed. “I did,” he said, approaching Luke. “Leia came and talked to me earlier.”

Luke shook his head and knew where this was going. “I figured she would.”

“Now don’t get mad at her but she told me how you’ve been feeling. I just want you to know that you’ll always have a place on my ship and with me, Luke. Regardless of what’s happened, you’re still the same Luke I fell in love with. I promise.”

Luke wasn’t expecting to hear this kind of talk from Han and smiled for the first time since he was rescued. It’s exactly what he needed to hear. He leaned forward and buried his face in Han’s neck as he wrapped his arms around him.

Han wrapped his arms around Luke, rubbing a hand up and down Luke’s back. “Hey, no crying tonight, kid,” he said when he felt the tears hit his exposed skin from his open shirt. “I do have another reason for asking you to come here.”

Luke snorted as he looked up at Han. “And what exactly do you have planned?” he asked, even though it was obvious.

“Well, you see,” Han began, fumbling over his words in the process.

Luke grinned up at him, getting the exact reaction out of Han that he wanted with his question. Han may act like he’s suave and charming but it fell apart when Luke was direct with him.

“I don’t care what we do as long as we can cuddle afterwards,” Luke cut in.

Han brought his hand up to cup the side of Luke’s face. “Of course we can.”

Luke leaned up and kissed Han, who was eager to return it. From there, it didn’t take long for them to end up toppling over into Han’s bed.

 

Han already drifted off to sleep as Luke laid awake, curled up against him. Luke listened to Han’s breathing, letting it calm his racing thoughts. It was going to take more than one night of sex to make Luke feel better about living without his hand but knowing Leia and Han were staying by him regardless helped. Together with their love, Luke knew he could get through this. That was the promise he made to himself.

[ ](http://s1275.photobucket.com/user/whit_merule/media/Promises/calm%20sea_zpsmaufzlhn.png.html)

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!
> 
> [Art Masterpost!](http://whitmerule.tumblr.com/post/155502420720/promises-art-post-a-hanlukeleia-fic-by) Go and give the artist some love!!! She did an amazing job!


End file.
